Harlem Art Center by LORENA PRIETO

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HARLEM ART CENTER

LORENA PRIETO MFA THESIS BOOK INTERIOR ARCHITECTURE & DESIGN ACADEMY OF ART UNIVERSITY SPRING 2015

HARLEM ART CENTER

To my family who encouraged and supported me to follow my dream.

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION ABSTRACT

RESEARCH

CLIENT

BUILDING ANALYSIS

END USER

HAMILTO HEIGHTS

HARLEM ART CENTER

HARLEM

SITE ANALYSIS

THESIS PROPOSAL

CASE STUDIES INSPIRATION

SYNCOPATION

DESIGN DEVELOPMENT CONCEPT DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMMING SPACE PLANNING

SOUTH COURTYARD & PAVILION

RESTAURANT

SECTIONS & ELEVATIONS

CERAMIC STUDIOS

102

INTERIOR GARDEN

114

ROOFTOP

DANCE STUDIOS

FLOOR PLANS

FOCUS AREAS

126

THE DESIGNER AUTOBIGRAPHY RESUME

139

140

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

141

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INTRODUCTION IMAGE: View of current conditions of P.S. 186 South Courtyard on 145th Street. Photo taken by Lorena Prieto

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/ INTRODUCTION /

ABSTRACT

It’s summer in Harlem, New York, the streets are filled with people escaping their unbearably hot apartments—seeking refuge on a not so much cooler sidewalk. People play loud music, sit on their building’s front concrete stoops as if they were front lawns. Drug dealers stand on almost every corner waiting for any potential customers seeking to get a quick fix. Children unwatched by a guardian run freely around the street, fire hydrants are on full blast, open to the point where it seems even dangerous for kids to run through, but they do it anyway. With few green parks or playgrounds to choose from, these people simply spend their summers on the street with occasional ventures to the park or beach. As you walk the streets experiencing these things that seem a bit un-orderly and unquestionably different from the rest of Manhattan, some questions may come to mind. What happened to the famous Harlem known for being the Mecca of African Americans escaping the depressing south to a better future? Is the Harlem of today what it could or should be? What happened to the art, literature and culture that once attracted some of the best intellectuals to this very neighborhood? The truth is that Harlem never recovered the 1930’s Great Depression, the up and coming neighborhood at the time was cut short of it’s potential. Today’s Harlem is primarily inhabited by minorities suffering from poverty, drugs and unemployment. It culturally does not have the same ferment as it did during the Harlem Renaissanace, largely bereft of cultural institutions, and low quality public education. And the only solution that New York of ficials have come up with in bettering the neighborhood is gentrification. Slowly raising rent prices while not solving the issues of meager earnings that many Harlem residents struggle with, forcing them out of their homes. In 2014 Lorena Prieto a graduate student of the Academy of Art University in San Francisco, decided to find a different approach in bettering the Harlem neighborhood

LEFT PAGE: Detailed view of a corner window on 145th St., South Courtyard of P.S. 186. Photo taken by Lorena Prieto. RIGHT PAGE: Summer Day by Leonard Freed

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with her thesis project in Interior Architecture and Design, and this was by developing and designing HART Center (Harlem Art Center). HART a center for the fine and performing arts to repurpose what was then an Italian renaissance style abandoned public school building at threat of being demolished. A born and raised New Yorker she was very familiar with the Harlem neighborhood having attended The City College of New York for her undergraduate studies prior to attending the Academy of Art University. She often walked passed the abandoned PS 186 building admiring its beautiful Italian renaissance faรงade disrupted by graffiti and trees growing from its interior seeking light through its windowless openings, wondering about its passed and its uncertain future. This admiration and curiosity made it easy for her to choose a building to repurpose for her thesis. With her heart close to home and a community driven idea at hand she created another hope to the betterment of the Harlem community through the arts and culture. The arts and culture have been recognized to be an important aspect of any community. They contribute to strengthening cultural values, preserving heritage and history, building community character and sense of place, enhancing community engagement and participation, and enhancing economic vitality. For these reasons and many more an art center is essential to all communities. Harlem, New York since 1942 has not had an art center that houses a variety of the arts such as fine arts, performing arts and literature under one roof. The new Harlem Arts Center is here to change that and bring back the vision of those that once made up the Harlem Arts Guild. They envisioned a community space that made art instruction accessible to all. A space central to the community, and both a space for exposing people to art and an institution for developing new artists. The new Harlem Arts Center will draw artists to this historic neighborhood and provide them spaces to work freely. It will serve as a gathering space for artists from all disciplines. The center will support artists by providing them with art, dance, music rehearsal and recording studios as well as performance and gallery spaces, cultivating artists in all stages of their creative development through educational programs, commissions and residencies. Other members of the community will also have access to the center and 10

TOP IMAGE: Photo of children playing street basketball, photographer unknown. BOTTOM IMAGE: Men playing dominoes, photographer unknown.

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will have the opportunity to participate in its lectures, performances and classes available to all who wish to enroll. The center will also house a local restaurant that will provide live entertainment on certain days of the week, and an art supply store, saving the trip of uptown New York City artists downtown to where currently the only art supply stores are. HAC will be a center for the people of the community to be exposed to the arts where they can have the opportunity to embrace and value it. A place of interaction, for both artists and non artists, building relationships amongst members of the community. With the adaptive reuse of abandoned P.S. 186 located on the North-Western part of Harlem, this center will be easily accessible to people not only of the Harlem community but also those living in upper Manhattan and the Bronx. It will go beyond what the members of the Harlem Artists Guild once envisioned and be beneficial to a great number of New Yorkers.

TOP IMAGE: 145th St. P.S. 186 to the right, Photo taken by Lorena Prieto BOTTOM IMAGE: Broadway and 145th st., photo by Lorena Prieto

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/ INTRODUCTION /

RESEARCH

Many people move in and out of New York City. Since the early 1800’s it has been the primary port of entry for Europeans coming to the U.S. From German, Irish to Jews, to Eastern Europeans. To people within the U.S. looking for better opportunities or to the more recent migrants of the Caribbean, Asia and Africa and people from other parts of the Americas. The city has seen all walks of life and with it also comes change. Neighborhoods never stay exactly the same, identities are lost and new ones are formed. Harlem is no exception to this ever-changing New York. Harlem is one of the larger neighborhoods of NYC stretching from the East River to the east and the Hudson River to the west, to 155th St. to the north and 110th st. to the south. Because of this it is divided into districts, primarily east and west Harlem to sometimes even East, Central and West depending on who you talk to. Within these divisions are even smaller neighborhoods each with it’s own unique identity through culture, history and demographics. One of these smaller inner neighborhoods of Harlem, of West Harlem to be particular, is Hamilton Heights. Some argue that Hamilton Heights is it’s own neighborhood dissociated with Harlem, but understanding it’s history and it’s significance in Harlem, particularly the Harlem Renaissance one can conclude that it remains part of Harlem. In the following chapter Harlem and Hamilton Heights will be further discussed to get a better understanding of the chosen site location of the proposed Harlem Art Center. Understanding it’s history and the significance of the arts in this particular northern Manhattan neighborhood will explain why Harlem, specifically Hamilton Heights is a great location for the center.

EAST HARLEM

WEST HARLEM

MANHATTAN LEFT PAGE IMAGE: Detailed view of architectutral ornamentation of P.S. 186, above original entrance on 145th St.. Photo taken by Lorena Prieto.

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HARLEM

Harlem was first settled by the Dutch in 1658, and named it Nieuw Haarlem. Until the late 18th Century it was farm and pastoral area. In the 19th century it was a summer retreat for those wanting to escape the busy city streets. Apartment houses were erected during the building boom of the 1880’s, but property owners were too ambitious and predicted a much higher rate of residents. Their predictions fell short and high rates of vacancy led them to rent to blacks, primarily by those whom sought a better standard of living than the institutionalized racism of the South. By World War I, much of Harlem was established as a black residential and commercial neighborhood. After World War I Harlem was the setting for an explosion of artistic experimentation called the Harlem Renaissance. It was a uniquely influential movement in African American culture. Famed scholars, artists and performers such as Langston Hughes, Zora Neale Hurston, W.E.B. Du Bois, Aaron Douglas, Augusta Savage, Jacob Lawrence, Duke Ellington, Louis Armstrong, Billie Holiday, Josephine Baker, just to name a few. All were very influential people to society especially to those in the African American community. Through music the arts and literature their voices were heard and they spoke for the bettermWent of the people, they exposed the true perspective of the African Americans within society. Most involved racial pride, demanding civil and political rights. Harlem was even referred to as the “Mecca” for the “New Negro”. However, by the 1930’s Harlem was affected by the Great Depression. Many found themselves unemployed and the art movement came to an end. Since then Harlem has suffered from poverty and high crime rates, never truly recovering. Housing conditions were poor, leading to multiple strikes by tenants. The education system is Harlem was not to standard, that by the mid 1960s about 75% of Harlem students tested under grade level in reading skills and 80% tested under grade level in math. By the 1970’s many Harlemites left Harlem to find better opportunities elsewhere, those who stayed behind were the poorest and least skilled, and did not show any improvement regardless of the attempted intervention of the city. As a result the city began to auction out and practically giving away property and housing in hopes of bettering the neighborhood. After the 1990’s Harlem began to grow again, renovations were made, and Harlem continues to grow to this day to a more diverse neighborhood. 14

IMAGES TOP TO BOTTOM: 1. Harlem Newspaper Stand, 1939. Courtesy of the NYPL. 2. Photo by James Van Der Zee of upper middle class black family in Harlem 3. Infamous Apollo Theater. Photo Taken by Lorena Prieto.

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HAMILTON HEIGHTS

On the most western most part of Harlem between 135th Street to 153rd Street, bordered by the Hudson River on the west and St. Nicholas on the east you find Hamilton Heights. Its name derived from Alexander Hamilton, the United States Secretary of Treasure and a Founding Father, who lived in the neighborhood the last years of his life. The estate he resided in still remains in the same location, currently St. Nicholas Park, and is referred to as Hamilton Grange National Monument, a museum that offers daily walking tours. Like the rest of Harlem, Hamilton Heights was originally used as farmland. But with the extension of the subway system from downtown in the end of the 20th century construction of apartment buildings and brownstones quickly began and filled the area. Originally planned for “white” middle class residents, the apartments are spacious and the brownstones luxurious, built in a variety of styles such as Beaux Arts, Queen Anne, Dutch and Romanesque Revival, considered among New York City’s most beautiful. This is also where the The City College of New York a.k.a “The Harvard for the Poor”, chose to build its campus, on a hill overlooking all of West and Central Harlem. During the late 1920’s and 1930’s an increase of middle class African-Americans made up most of its residents. During these years the Harlem Renaissance was in it’s prime and many of the new residents were artists, writers, musicians, government workers, and professionals. Part of the area became known as “Sugar Hill”, because it was considered where the sweet life was. Famous African American residents of the time included W.E.B. DuBois, Adam Clayton Powell Jr., Aaron Douglas, Count Basie and Duke Ellington to name a few. In the 1980’s Latinos moved in, primarily from Dominican Republic. Recently the neighborhood is undergoing gentrification, increasing the population of non-Hispanic whites to the neighborhood. Overall it is a diverse neighborhood, remaining primarily an affordable residential area suitable for families on the island of Manhattan. IMAGES TOP TO BOTTOM: 1. Detailed view of parking stables on 135th street. 2. Brownstones on Convent Ave. 3. Brownstones on 137th Street. All photos taken by Lorena Prieto

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SITE ANALYIS

As art centers have been recognized as an asset to any community, their location can also determine their success. A center must be easily and readily accessible to its potential target users. In an urban setting such as New York City, accessibility is determined primarily by mass transit rather than automobile parking. Taking this into consideration the proposed site location of the new Harlem Art Center

is located on 521 W. 145th Street between Broadway and Amsterdam Avenue, in West Harlem also referred to as Hamilton Heights. It is a building site easily accessible to many New Yorkers and potential users. The building itself is an abandoned school building previously known as P.S. 186. It is located near main transit stations, with the nearest train station (1 train) within less

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LEFT PAGE: Subway Station 145th Street, location of P.S. 186. Photo by Lorena Prieto. RIGHT PAGE: Site ite Map of P.S. 186.

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than a half block radius, and two other train stations (A, B, C, D, and 3 train) a few blocks within walking distance, all operable 24hrs a day 7 days a week. Major bus routes that go within Manhattan and the Bronx are found even directly in front of the building on 145th Street. If potential users would prefer to use an automobile the Henry Hudson Parkway (West Side Highway) is less than half a mile west, and the Harlem River Drive is less than a mile to the east. The Hamilton Heights neighborhood is predominantly zoned with multi-family residential buildings followed by mixed residential/commercial buildings. On West 145th Street (south entrance), the zoning is primarily populated by mixed residential/commercial buildings. The businesses are primarily “Mom and Pop” shops, such as the local hardware

POINTS OF INTEREST Park Residential & Commercial Blocks Senior Living Center Educational Institutions

store (direct neighbor of P.S. 186) the multiple “Bodegas” (commonly used term in New York City for Latin grocery store), local neighborhood restaurants, a Bikram Studio directly across the street and some other miscellaneous neighborhood shops. Then of course around the corner on Broadway, are the inevitable chain stores like fast food McDonalds and the go to New York City Drug Store, Duane Reade. The neighborhood itself is very typical of a New York City neighborhood, having almost everything accessible within walking distance. Beside the local retail shops in the neighborhood there are also other places to note. For one there is a local library conveniently located on 145th street going towards Amsterdam Avenue on the same block as P.S. 186. On the

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north end, directly across the street is the elementary school PS 153 (which replaced P.S. 186 af ter it’s closure) as well as the local Post Office. Direct neighbor, east of the building is a local community garden, Serenity Garden that is taken care of by the people in the community. A few blocks away, is the City College of New York, a beautiful campus with Gothic Architecture, a site worth visiting. The chosen site of Harlem Art Center is a great location not only for residents of Harlem but also of New York City’s uptown residents because of its easy accessibility. Currently there is no place like the proposed Harlem Art Center in the area and it will bring back to the neighborhood, the “sweet life” it was once known for.

TRANSPORTATION MTA Train Line MTA Bus Line West Side Highway

HARLEM ART CENTER

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BUILDING ANALYSIS

When walking down 145th street one can’t miss the beautiful and interestingly enough abandoned school building, P.S. 186. Its red brick façade with detailed ornamentation is very different from its adjacent buildings. Although it’s exterior façade seemed to be fairly intact its interior was in a state of wretched despair; with what one could see beyond the barricades, trees were sprouting through the roof and windows of the abandoned school. Public School 186 on West 145th Street was opened in 1903, it was a five-story building with a brick façade, large windows and open inner courtyards embraced by its H shape design. It was built by acclaimed superintendent and chief architect for New York City schools Charles B.J. Snyder, P.S. 186 is just one of over 400 public schools he built during his 30-year tenure. The H-design of the building is one of Snyder’s trademarks, inspired by an 1896 trip to Paris when he saw the Hotel de Cluny, he repurposed the layout to provide students with more recreational space and grand courtyard entrances. The H-plan ensured maximum natural light and ventilation into the buildings interior, improving environmental quality. The Italian Renaissance-style structure functioned as an elementary school for 72 years when it closed its doors in 1975. According to an archived New York Times article, the school principal stated that “the most urgent problems at school… (were) security and fire hazards.” The building was pretty much a fire trap, because of this the fire department required the doors to be open during hours of operation, which led to the public using the building as a shortcut to the neighboring street, increasing crime inside the school. There were reports of robbery at knifepoint, as well as a teachers aid raped at gunpoint inside a classroom. Conditions clearly were not suitable for children or any person for that matter and when a budget for a new school was approved P.S. 186 was shut down. In 1986, the school was sold for $215,000 to the Boys &

LEFT PAGE: Architectural detail of P.S. 186. Photo byLorena Prieto RIGHT PAGE TOP TO BOTTOM: 1. Original photograph of P.S. 186 around the time of opening. 2.Current interior view of building from 4th flr.

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Girls Club of Harlem. According to the New York Times, the sales contract stipulated that “85 percent of the usable floor area was to be dedicated to nonprofit community use, and development of the property was to be substantially completed within three years.” Those plans never developed and the neighborhood has argued over what to do with the property ever since. Some residents want it preserved as a historical site and some want it torn down for affordable housing and a new school. The building has a total of 5 floors not including the cellar and rooftop, totaling 111,835 Sq. ft. It’s original ceiling heights range between 13’-14’. Charles B. Snyder designed his school buildings for the betterment of society, always concerned with health and safety issues in public schools, he focused on fire protection, ventilation, lighting and classroom size. He used terra cotta blocks on floor construction to improve fireproofing, a feature visible in the now deteriorated interiors of P.S. 186. One of the challenges for New York City Public School designs were the constricted sites purchased only because they were affordable in comparison to all of the city’s high land costs. The sites were usually in the middle of city blocks, rather than a corner lot that would be ideal for a school allowing for easily accessible natural light and corner lawns. Snyder addressed this issue by creating a “template” of the H-Plan for most of his designs. To this day the H-plan has proven successful but with increase in student population the demand for new emergency exits increased and due to lack of funds these demands were sometimes never met. As was the case for P.S. 186, which shut it’s doors due to fire safety issues regardless of Snyder prioritizing fire safety in his original design. Although its interiors are not intact its exterior walls are, and given that the interior needs complete renovation also gives more flexibility for re-designing its interior. One can take advantage of its H-design layout and make use of its courtyards by creating interesting outdoor spaces for the Harlem community to use, something not very common in the neighborhood. The existing ceiling heights are an average of 13-14f t. Although P.S. 186’s interiors are not intact its exterior walls are. It is a building with much potential for adaptive reuse. With its interiors deteriorated and it’s exterior salvageable it is a great opportunity for an interior architect to use its shell 22

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and bring it back to back to life. It allows for maximum interior flexibility in terms of design, where ceiling heights can be expanded, rooms can be larger, and interesting shapes and dimensions can be introduced.

LEFT TO RIGHT PAGE TOP TO BOTTOM: Original plans of P.S. 186, starting with cellar ending with rooftop, left side facing south. Courtesy of Dattner Architects

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THESIS PROPOSAL LEFT IMAGE: Street view of South Courtyard of P.S. 186, photo by Lorena Prieto

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/ THESIS PROPOSAL /

HARLEM ARTS CENTER

Harlem once had what was called the Harlem Arts Community Center (HACC) that ran from 1937-1942. The center was sponsored by the Works Progress Administration (WPA), the relief measure of the Great Depression established in 1935. It employed millions to carry out public works projects. Among these projects were a group of collective division art projects categorized into the Federal Project Number One. The five divisions included the Federal Art Project, Federal Music Project, Federal Theater Project, and the Federal Writers’ project. All projects did not stand for any sort of discrimination no matter the race, color or religion, therefore Harlem was not excluded as a benefactor of the opportunities these projects had to offer and the Harlem Arts Community Center was established. The Community Center was directed by Augusta Savage, an artist who took pride in her work and sharing her talents and skills with her students. Before the HACC she ran the Savage Studio of Arts and Crafts, located in a basement on 143rd st., she opened her studio to anyone who wanted to paint, draw or sculpt, and advocator for art education for all. With her passionate and driven personality she served as a great director and in it’s first 16 months, 70,592 people attended HACC center activities and over 1,500 students enrolled in the many classes the center had to offer. The center offered classes in color and design, sculpture, painting, advertising, photography, just to name a few. It was clearly very successful but sadly enough in 1942 the WPA ended its funding and the Center could not support itself, especially since its classes and activities were free to all. Since then a center like it has not opened in Harlem. The Harlem Art Center (HART) is here to change that. The center will provide affordable art , music, and dance studio spaces. It will also have various classes in the arts, allowing for people of all skill levels to attend, also at a low cost. There will be areas of leisure where artists and students can interact, inspire each other with their different ideas and

forms of art, such as the indoor garden, and rooftop garden café . It will also house public spaces like the art gallery, auditorium, and art supply store. It’s courtyards both north and south will also be open to the public, filled with green areas in the southern courtyard and a greenhouse in the northern courtyard serving as the community garden. The center has a lot to offer to the community of Harlem and all of New York City. With its site being accessible to New Yorkers of all boroughs, it can draw an artistic crowd back into the neighborhood. It will bring it back to a modern version of the Harlem Renaissance, where people of all backgrounds can benefit from the arts.

LEFT PAGE: View of P.S. 186 under Construction., photo by Lorena Prieto RIGHT PAGE: Augusta Savage Art Class in Harlem Arts Community Center Circa 1930.

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CLIENT PROFILE

Established in 1979 as an advocate for artists’ space needs, they worked on helping artists acquire affordable studio spaces to create their art. By the late 1980’s Artspace moved beyond simply advocating and went into developing spaces for artists. It now is a national leader in the field of developing affordable live/work spaces for artists throughout the nation, all through the practice of adaptive reuse of historical buildings and some new construction. Currently Artspace includes projects in operation or development in over 20 states. They have completed more than 33 major projects, and a dozen more are under construction. In all these projects nearly 2,000 live/work nits and millions of square feet of non-residential community and commercial space. Artspace owns or co-owns all the buildings it develops, comprising more than $500 million worth of real property. They manage all of their properties to make sure they are well maintained and continue to follow the guidelines they set as affordable spaces for artists. In addition to being a developer, owner and manager, Artspace also serves as an consultant to those seeking information and advice about developing affordable housing and work spaces for artists, performing art centers, and cultural districts, often with the context of historical preservation. One of their most recent projects, El Barrio’s P.S. 109, in New York City. It is a community driven project which transformed an abandoned public school building in East Harlem into an arts facility with 89 units of affordable live/work housing for artists and their families and 10,000 square feet of complementary space for arts organizations. Harlem Art Center will serve as an extension to El Barrio serving strictly as work, classroom and exhibition spaces for artists and people of the community. With the experience and knowledge of Artspace, HART will well managed and developed.

IMAGE ABOVE: Gia Guterrez, painter and resident of El Barrio’s Artspace PS109. Photo by James Shanks

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As Artspace also co-owns some of the buildings it develops, HART Center’s co-owner will be the Harlem Arts Alliance. A not for-profit service organization whose mission is to nurture the artistic growth and the development of artists and organizations based in Harlem and its surrounding communities. It is made up of a total of 850 individual artists and art organizations. Through it’s diverse membership, representing both emerging and well-established artists they help build resources for them through networking amongst its members and partnerships. They are a resourceful organization amongst the Harlem artist community as well other artists in nearby areas, holding workshops and events to improve the artists skills as well as exhibit them. They strive to promote the importance of the arts and culture to Harlem, the region and communities throughout New York State. With the experience and knowledge that the Harlem Arts Alliance has in the Harlem arts community they will also be very resourceful for the Harlem Art Center. There will be an office space provided for them within the HART Center to manage in house. They will, alongside Artspace, be responsible for the organization of the program as well as marketing, bringing awareness of HART Center to Harlem and it’s surrounding communities. With it’s current resources in the art community they will successfully and easily be able to do so.

IMAGE ABOVE: Harlem Arts Alliance Dramatic writing workshop.

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END USERS

ARTISTS & WRITERS

DANCERS & PERFORMERS

Harlem Arts Community Center will house rentable studio spaces for local artists in need of an affordable workspace. In return of affordable rentable studio spaces they will be required to contribute a certain amount of volunteer hours in the center, whether it be teaching a class, working at the rooftop café, maintaining the gardens or maintaining the building. The artists’ work will be displayed in the gallery space and hallways. Murals will be commissioned to provide the artists with work and exposure. Their artwork will also be sold in the Art Supply Store connected to the Gallery space. The proceeds will primarily go to the artist and a percentage to the center. The writers of the center will have various workshops to enhance their skills and poetry jam nights in the restaurant, Sugar’s cellar stage. They too will be required to provide volunteer hours in the center. Both writers and artists will have 24 hour access to the building and access to many of its resources such as the photography studio, ceramic studio, wood shop, indoor garden and rooftop for times of leisure and inspiration as well as the many other public spaces. The age requirement will be 18+.

Local dancers and performers will have access to low rate dance studio spaces as well. They will have 24 hour access to the three dance studios provided. The auditorium and restaurant stage can also be used as rehearsal and performance spaces. They will be subject to volunteer hours like the rest of the studio users in return for affordable rentable spaces. Having access to the dance studios and the buildings other facilities they will contribute HART Centers creative community inspiring other users with their work. These users must be 18+.

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MUSICIANS Musicians will also be part of the HART community. With many facilities provided for them such as assorted sizes of music rehearsal studios equipped with various instruments and sound system for their specific needs, and of course sound-proofing. Recording studios will also be provided, with the state of the art recording systems donated to the center by various music organizations. All studio spaces will be rented to it users at an affordable price. But as the rest of the studio users they too will be subject to volunteer hours in the center. They will also have access to the auditorium and restaurant stage to perform and rehearsal times during after hours. Having 24 hour access to the studios and other areas of the building, they too will be a great asset to contributing to the art inspiring community that the HART Center aspires to be. Age requirement is 18+.

PEOPLE OF HARLEM AND ITS SURROUNDING COMMUNITIES Harlem Arts Community Center will provide many affordable classes and workshops in various art areas, such as painting, ceramics, woodshop, poetry, music, dance and much more. Lectures will be held in the auditorium as well as performances of not only the artists using the center but also of professional artists that chose to rent the center as its venue. The south courtyard will always be open to the public as a mini park. The north courtyard will hold the community garden cultivated with fresh produce teaching the community on healthy eating habits and value and respect for nature. The restaurant will be open to the public as well, serving Latin fusion cuisine, and the cellar providing the bar and performance area for jazz nights and other special events. The art supply store will also be open to the public, a great contribution to the community as there currently is none in the area. The art gallery, open to the public will be an inspirational place for those in the community, providing them with a sense of pride and culture. The people attending the cener will of course be residents of Harlem but also residents of surrounding NYC areas such as the Bronx and other areas of Manhattan. Everyone will be welcome to use the buildings public facilities. The age group for the public spaces is not restricted. They will only have access to the public spaces during hours of operation.

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CASE STUDIES

THE MALOPOLSKA GARDEN OF ARTS This cultural arts center located in Krakow, Poland contains both Maloposka Voivodeship Library and the Juliusz Slowacki Theater. It was the winning entry of Polish studio Ingarden & Ewy, to a competition held by the Union of Polish Architects to create a new cultural center in Krakow. The architects designed around the 19th century former horse-riding arena, extending the building to create a T-shaped plan. The modern art and media library occupies the western wing of the T-shaped plan, with multimedia books and music, while the theater stretches north to south, equipped with a multifunctional events hall. The new hall – operating, as a studio theatre, conference room, concert hall, and venue for banquets and exhibitions – holds retractable stages for 300 people. State-of-the-art stage technology, allows dramas and concerts to be performed, and exhibitions, film screenings, symposiums, conferences, art auctions, fashion shows, and many more events to be held. Altogether, the space of about 4300 sq m houses a theatre together with a cinema with 98 seats, a café, and premises for the organization of educational, art-related activities. Beside the theater they designed a large

indoor garden filled with benches, planting beds and a maple tree. Partially sheltered beneath a glass ceiling, this garden space is open to the public and was designed to “transport the gateway to the stage out onto the street”, enticing visitors into the space. The great design and use of the space is what made me choose Malopolska Garden of Arts as one of my case studies. The multifunctional center allows all sorts of art forms to be performed or exhibited in the space, which is something I want to incorporate and adapt in my design. I also like how Ingarden &Ewy used the local architecture and culture as inspiration for their design through creating pitched roofs and incorporating bricks and wooden façades and interpreted it with a modern approach through the use of transparency. Creating a free-access public space with their urban garden is also something I would like to incorporate in my design. With the existing courtyards of P.S. 186 I can use the garden of MGA as a source of inspiration while developing my design. Using the courtyards as “gateway” to the Harlem Art Center, and drawing people into the center through my design.

IMAGE ABOVE: Exterior view of The Malopolska Garden of Arts. Krakow, Poland.

/ THESIS PROPOSAL /

BUDA ART CENTER Designers 51N4E transformed a massive disused textile factory into studios and exhibition spaces for artists in residence, the Buda Art Centre, located on Buda Island of Kortrijk, Belgium. The existing massive structure is situated in the middle of a city block and has been restructured by the designers by two main interventions. The first was creating a large pentagonal void in the center of the building, allowing daylight to penetrate in all levels of the building, hence reducing the need and use of artificial lighting. This pentagonal void houses a public staircase that gives access to a diverse range of spaces on four levels: a laboratory for manufacturing, multifunctional spaces of varying sizes and lighting conditions, music venues and a roof terrace. The biggest part of the structure is reused, saving resources and keeping construction expenses within budget. The second intervention was creating an open air pentagonal pavilion at the street level that leads visitors into the lower entrance. Built from the yellow brick discovered in the original interior, this pavilion becomes the new facade of the complex, and is actually the only part visible from the

street level. I chose the Buda Art Centre as a case study because of its design and the adaptive reuse of the textile factory. As a cultural space that holds workshops, and studios for artists in residency I found it interesting and useful to study how the architects made use of the existing space. They made sure to have more of an open floor plan with well lit interiors and used a warm palette of colors, making the interior space more inviting and approachable, as well as giving it more of a multifunctional use of space. Like the Malopolska Garden of Arts, I like the façade of the Buda Art Centre. It’s pentagonal pavilion is a big contrast of it’s neighboring buildings through it’s shape and color, drawing attention to the building, and hence attracting more possible visitors. I want to create a grand unique entrance using the existing courtyards of the P.S. 186 as well as try to bring in as much natural lighting as possible. Those are two factors that are very important to me because I want The Harlem Art Center to be in an approachable, inviting structure.

IMAGE ABOVE: Exterior view of Buda Art Center in Kortrijik, Belgium

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INSPIRATION

Harlem was once the epicenter for an explosion of artistic experimentation in the 1920s and 1930s called the Harlem Renaissance. It was a uniquely influential movement, especially for the African American community. It was the first time the African American writers, artists, and musicians were re-known for their contributions to world culture. The arts and literature were their outlets for group expression and self-determination as a means of achieving equality and civil rights. Works of the Harlem Renaissance crossed borders both within the United States and even other countries such as Paris. Among the creative’s that contributed to this movement were writers, Langston Hughes, and Zora Neale Hurston, artists Aaron Douglas and Augusta Savage, musicians Duke Ellington, and Bessie Smith, and infamous performer Josefine Baker. Artists, writers and musicians formed communities such as Sugar Hill, creating the “Sweet Life” inspiring each other in their own way. It was a wonderful time of self-expression and a prime time for Harlem. Due to the significance of the arts in this time period the Harlem Renaissance will serve as inspiration for the HART Center. It will try to replicate that space and “Mecca” for artists in all fields. It will serve as a refuge for artists to inspire one another and form group and self-expression for the betterment of the community and society in general. The design itself will be inspired more specifically by jazz, an art form produced and embraced during the time. Jazz gained popularity in Harlem around the 1920’s, around the same time of the Harlem Renaissance. It was an important representative art form of the African American community yet was not limited to that group of people, it was and continues to be a genre of music that crosses all borders, even having a highly positive impact outside of the country. It has also been a source of inspiration in other art forms, inspiring other artists to create their own interpretation of jazz through different mediums. Outside of New Orleans, no community has nurtured jazz more than Harlem. IMAGES ABOVE TOP TO BOTTOM: Josefine Baker, performer. Aaron Douglas, painter. Billie Holiday, musician. All involved with the Harlem Renaissance.

/ THESIS PROPOSAL /

SYNCOPATION

As jazz was a significant genre of music of the Harlem Renaissance, it has been chosen as the inspiration for the overall design of the Harlem art center. But jazz itself is a very broad topic and can be interpreted in many ways. To narrow down the general meaning of jazz it was dissected to get a more specific conceptual design. Through this dissection, research and analysis, syncopation was found to be what distinguished it amongst other genres of music. Syncopation is the variety of rhythms which are in some way unexpected and make part or all of a tune or piece of music “off-beat”. To incorporate this design concept into a physical visual form, various rhythmic patterns will be created as architectural features and disrupted in one form or another. Further developing this concept a specific song related to Harlem itself, “Drop Me Off in Harlem” by Duke Ellington, (a musician of the Harlem renaissance) was selected. It’s music tabs were then abstracted to create the continuous rhythmic pattern seen throughout the space.

IMAGE ABOVE TOP TO BOTTOM: 1.Photo by Roland Fischer, Facades. 2. Anna Higgie, Portrait Deconstruction. 3. Jekyll & Hyde by Matilda Saxow

DESIGN DEVELOPMENT LEFT IMAGE: View within South Courtyard of P.S. 186, Photo by Lorena Prieto.

HARLEM ART CENTER

/ DESIGN DEVELOPMENT /

CONCEPT DEVELOPMENT

Developing Syncopation as the design concept for the Harlem Art Center did not happen overnight. Much research of Harlem, its history and significance was done in order to find some inspiration related to the site location. The concept evolved immensely over the course of one year, first starting with the general idea of music. Music as a concept was first established based off reading various articles and their interpretation on the intersection between music and architecture. Some discuss the influence of architecture in music, stating that western classical music evolved based on accommodating the acoustical conditions of their performance space. Others discussed the influence of music in architecture, through music theory the design process has the ability to expand a designers’ creativity. Music itself can be dated influencing architecture as far back as the Renaissance when architects used musical ratios based off Pythagoras theory. They believed that “as man is the image of God and the proportions of his body are produced by divine will, so the proportions of his body are produced by divine will, so the proportions in architecture have to embrace and express cosmic order” (Wittkower, 1949). Many references regarding the relationship between music and architecture can be easily found. Although this in itself is an interesting topic, Harlem was not as represented in this design concept. To further develop the concept, jazz was chosen due to it’s relationship and significance in Harlem. More importantly it was chosen because of its significance and popularity during the Harlem Renaissance, the prime time of the arts and culture of Harlem. Once the choice was made that jazz would be the concept it was then developed even further. Through research it was found that what distinguished jazz from other genres of music was a tern called syncopation. Syncopation is the variety of rhythms which are in some way unexpected and make part or all of a tune or piece of music “off-beat”. Translating this into a physical form was not necessarily an easy task as it can be

LEFT PAGE: View of existing ornamented gate on 145th street. Photo by Lorena Prieto. RIGHT PAGE TOP TO BOTTOM: 1.Archibold Motley, Blues 1929 2. Archibold Motley, NIght Life 1943

HARLEM ART CENTER

interpreted in so many ways. Once syncopation was established as a further narrowing down of the concept, studies were made of the building. Using the buildings exterior structure lines were intersected between various existing corners of the building to see if a “rhythmic pattern” could be developed from the building itself. Then the same manner of studies were made using the columns of the building. Various trace papers were laid over the existing floor plan in an attempt to develop a rhythmic pattern that can then be abstracted and “syncopated” throughout the design of the space. Having studied the building on its own it was clear that the concept needed to be developed even further. Then came finding a perfect song that was not only jazz but also related to Harlem, and without surprise there were a couple of jazz songs that referenced Harlem to chose from. It was even quite a bit challenging deciding on a particular one. Eventually the decision was made and Drop Me Off In Harlem by Duke Ellington was selected as the song of choice. The song Drop me off in Harlem was written in 1933 by Duke Ellington and it makes Harlem seem like such a magical place, a place to long for. It brings you to another place and time where Harlem was spoken highly of, unlike the way its overall spoken of today. It seemed like the perfect choice for HART Center. Moving forward the music notes of Drop me off in Harlem were taken an traced over, developing different shapes and rhythmic patterns off the music notes. Studies of the guitar tabs were then made, starting off by identifying and using the dots of the tabs, finding the connection between them. With lines intersecting them and connecting one to the other, to then developing shapes from these connections. What seemed to be consistent of these studies were triangular and angular shapes. Shapes were not always consistent, much like in jazz but still worked well collectively. The main entrance to the building and new addition as well that will be further discussed was very much inspired by the studies of the song. The many skylights casting shadows onto the pavilion floor are cutouts of the shapes developed from the music sheet tab studies. The exterior façade of the building was made from the intersecting lines connecting through the circles of the tabs on the music sheet, which then formed an interesting angular façade, casting shadows of strings disrupted by angles onto the floor. 40

IMAGES ABOVE TOP TO BOTTOM: Preliminary studies of concept based off music, 1. Rhytmic Pattern study of building corners. 2. Rhythmic pattern study of buildings columns. 3. Rhythmic hallway sketch idea.

/ DESIGN DEVELOPMENT /

Having syncopation as the design concept has made the design relevant to its site location and much more meaningful. Having abstracted jazz notes and incorporating hints of it throughout the space without being overbearing or literal was the ending goal of the overall design.

IMAGES ABOVE TOP TO BOTTOM, LEFT TO RIGHT: 1. Drop me off in Harlem music notes. 2. Dots over tab notes transfered to one sheet. 3. Dots of tab notes connected with intersecting lines. 4. Dots of tab notes connected to form shapes. 5.Shapes developed from dots of tab notes placed on roof of pavilion to create skylights.

HARLEM ART CENTER

/ DESIGN DEVELOPMENT /

PROGRAMMING

The Harlem Art Center was inspired by the Harlem Renaissance, with the idea of introducing a new generation of an inspiring art community within Harlem. Since the Harlem Arts Community Center of 1942 the neighborhood has not seen a center dedicated to all art forms housed in one building. There are some places in the area to note such as the Harlem School of Arts that is only eligible for a selective group of children until the age of 18. They focus on teaching children many different art forms from music to fine arts to theater, a very great program for children in the community but not many get accepted into the program as they are very selective. Then there is the Harlem School of Dance, another very successful program dedicated only to dance but open to the general public of all ages. Both programs are very successful and have a great positive impact in the community but they each have restrictions and limitations to their programs. The Harlem Arts Center is dedicated to offer various forms of art within one building, age limitation will not be enforced in most of the programs available, besides the age restriction for the rentable studio spaces. The choice of programs to be offered in the center, were very much influenced by the former Harlem Arts Community Center. The many artists that got together and formed the Harlem Artists’ Guild and helped build the program at the time, wanted to provide a community space free to all, making all forms of art instruction accessible to all in one building. Through some thorough research, which involved visiting NYC’s Public Library, in the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture of Harlem, some Microfiche was found of a brochure and schedule of classes of the former Harlem Arts Community Center from 1941-942. Within this schedule of classes they offered at the time such classes as, Color and Design, Life Drawing & Painting, Sculpture Modeling, Photography, Advertising Design, Lithography, and that’s just to name a few. Among the microfiche was also a section

LEFT PAGE: View of arched column windows in Southern Courtyard of P.S. 186. Photo by Lorena Prieto. IMAGE ABOVE: Cover of brochure pamphlet of original Harlem Arts Community Center, 19411942, Courtesy of NYPL

HARLEM ART CENTER

within the brochure that listed the benefits of the Harlem Arts Community Center to Harlem. Some of the things listed included; free instruction in all branches of art by professional artists and teachers; free lectures, discussions and exhibitions open to the public; a program seeking to enrich the cultural heritage of the Negro citizen of tomorrow; and an opportunity to participate in a national movement for providing art experiences for everyone through the work of community art centers. The scan of the list is provided to the right for reference. Finding the microfiche scans was very fortunate as it was very difficult to find information on the center besides some brief posts on Wikipedia. The brochure was inspiring, one can see the passion at first hand when browsing through the different pages, it brought The Harlem Arts Community Center back to life, made it a little more tangible and relatable since it was a product produced by the center itself. With this information at hand the mission of the Harlem Art Center is to bring back the spirit of the Harlem Artistsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Guild. It will provide classes different disciplines in the arts such as fine arts, photography, music, dance, and poetry. It too will be accessible providing affordable studios for full time artists looking for work spaces. The center will provide places of leisure to promote the opportunity of interaction between the many artists in the center. Spaces such as the Interior Garden and Rooftop Garden and CafĂŠ are some of the spaces meant for promoting interaction and opportunity for inspiration for the artists using the center. As for the general public the building will also provide areas for them as well. The north courtyard will serve as a more private entrance for the artists and students as well as the employees of the administrative offices. It is located on a primarily residential street and gives easy access to the school children of P.S. 153, (potential users of the building) which is located on 146th street directly across of The Harlem Art Center building. The north courtyard will also be converted into a green house serving as the local community garden, to provide fresh produce for the community all year long. This decision was based on the fact that the center has taken up some of the existing community garden in order to provide a proper loading dock for the building. To compensate for this loss the northern courtyard will be dedicated as a new location of the existing Serenity Garden. The south courtyard will serve as the main entrance to the general public due to the fact that 145th street is mixed residential commercial zoned area. A ramp going across the courtyard provides full 44

IMAGE ABOVE: Page from brochure pamphlet of original Harlem Arts Community Center, 19411942, Courtesy of NYPL

/ DESIGN DEVELOPMENT /

accessibility, as it is the main entrance to the public spaces of the building. Some areas of the courtyard will be converted to small lawns for lounging on hot summer days and simply to provide a green space for the street as there currently is none. A pavilion will be added as an extension to the building, it will serve as a lobby area for the public spaces such as the auditorium in the cellar, the restaurant on the first floor and cellar, and the art gallery on the second floor. A restaurant, also located on the south entrance, providing Latin-fusion cuisine will be accessible to all whom chose to visit. The Art Gallery exhibiting local artists work as well as traveling exhibitions will also be open to the public, an inspiration to all who enter. The auditorium will house concerts of traveling and local artists who chose to book the space for the time necessary, bringing revenue into the building as well as the community as concerts and similar events increase revenue to the local shops of the community. The art supply store also available to the general public on the southern courtyard entrance, will be the first fully equipped Art Supply Store in the uptown area of Manhattan and closest one to the Bronx. This store will facilitate the needs of Harlem Arts Center artists as well as all uptown NYC artists. The program was based on enhancing the opportunity to relive a time filled with creativity and talent. It took into consideration the needs of artists and those in the Harlem community as well as surrounding boroughs. It brings another solution to better the current conditions of the community by engaging its current residents rather than enforcing high rent prices and gentrif ying the neighborhood. It will bring back hope and life to the neighborhood, a sense of pride and self worth.

HARLEM ART CENTER

/ DESIGN DEVELOPMENT /

SPACE PLANNING Having established the program for Harlem Art Center, space planning was the next step in the design process. Things taken into consideration while developing space planning decisions were as follows: hierarchy of spaces, adjacencies, public versus private spaces, acoustics, lighting, sound proofing, square footage, occupancy, amongst other things. To make this process more feasible multiple matrixes and bubble diagrams were developed as a study of the program within the building. The HART Centerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s many functions each require specific needs that had to be met in order to make the spaces functional. Getting to know the needs of the different areas within the program also required research within itself. To gather this information case studies were made based on visiting multiple spaces that served similar functions as the ones being provided in the program. Visits to art supply stores, such as Blick and Flax located in San Francisco, CA were made. During these visits questions were asked regarding the needs of the space, improvements that the tour guide felt were necessary, how things function both in back of house and sales floor. Visits were also made to restaurants, one being Foreign Cinema in the Mission District, San Francisco, CA. Given a tour of the back of house it was made easy to establish the ideal organization and requirements for storage in a restaurant setting. Understanding the operation of the loading dock, break rooms, the division of storage of dry vs. wet goods, and things of that nature. Another site visit worth mentioning was a tour of P.S. 1 MOMA in NYC, this is where information was gathered on how the adaptive reuse of a school building like P.S. 186 took place. During this tour it was described how artists manipulated the building itself to create their artwork, rather than bringing in artwork made outside of the building they created artwork embedded into the floors and walls of the building. The case studies mentioned are just a few of the site visits made to gather information on the needs of the different programs incorporated in the Harlem Art Center. The research collected served as an important tool to then go about putting the spaces into the building. The idea behind the HART Center is to bring together different art forms into one building where they can inspire each other to create even grander art. Therefore dividing the different art forms by levels was not an option. Having art, music and dance all mixed on the various levels of the building was the main focus of the space-planning component in the design process. Spaces needed to be created where the artists can mingle as well as watch each other work. Division between spaces had to be as minimal as possible. Windows and other ways of looking into work-spaces were incorporated into the design. One example of this are the overlooks into the dance studios, a feature that will be seen and further discussed in the upcoming chapter. This primary idea of interaction also served as the creating factor for an indoor garden and rooftop garden/cafĂŠ. New York experiences some harsh

LEFT PAGE: View of street within Southern Courtyard of P.S. 186. Photo by Lorena Prieto. IMAGE ABOVE: Bubble diagram study showing the relationship between the different spaces of the building.

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winters so the roof top garden will not be open during that time, but users will still have access to the indoor garden. Through all the thorough research conduced in the space planning component of the design development , a successful and functional space that met the needs of HART Center was able to be developed,

LEVEL CELLAR CELLAR CELLAR CELLAR CELLAR LEVEL 1 LEVEL 1 LEVEL 1 LEVEL 1 LEVEL 1 LEVEL 1 LEVEL 1 LEVEL 1 LEVEL 1 LEVEL 1 LEVEL 2 LEVEL 2 LEVEL 2 LEVEL 2 LEVEL 2 LEVEL 2 LEVEL 3 LEVEL 3 LEVEL 3 LEVEL 3 LEVEL 3 LEVEL 3 LEVEL 3 LEVEL 4 LEVEL 4 LEVEL 4 LEVEL 4 LEVEL 4 LEVEL 4 LEVEL 5 LEVEL 5 LEVEL 5 LEVEL 5 LEVEL 5 LEVEL 5 LEVEL 5 ROOF

FUNCTION PAVILION -P RESTAURANT -R WOOD SHOP- WS AUDITORIUM- A RESTROOMS- RR SOUTH COURTYARD-SC NORTH COURTYARD- NC PAVILION RESTAURANT ART GALLERY- AG ART SUPPLY STORE- AS RESTROOMS REGISTRAR/LOBBY- L LOADING DOCK/STORAGE- LD H.A.A. ADMINISTRATION OFFICE- HAA PAVILION ART GALLERY- AG STORAGE- S COMPUTER/TECH LAB- CL, TL CLASSROOM- CR PHOTOGRAPHY- PH DANCE STUDIOS- D LOCKER ROOMS- LR ART STUDIOS - AST CLASSROOM CERAMIC STUDIO JANITORS CLOSET/STORAGE-ST BATHROOMS-B REHEARSAL STUDIO ART STUDIO CLASSROOM CERAMIC STUDIO- CS STORAGE JANITORS CLOSET- JC REHEARSAL STUDIOS- REH RECORDING STUDIOS- REC CLASSROOM INDOOR GARDEN- IG BREAK ROOM/KITCHENETTE- BR MUSIC OFFICE- MO I.T. ROOM- IT WALKABLE ROOF AREA- WR

ADJACENCIES

PUBLIC

PRIVATE

SQ.FT.

R, A P, WS, A A, R P, WS, A P, WS, A R, AS, P, AG L, HAA R, AS, A SC, P, AG, LD R, SC P, SC R, AS LD, NC L, R NC, AS AG P, AS ALL PH, CR, AG CL, TL, AG CL, TL LR, AST, CR D, AST, D, LR, CR AST ST ALL ALL AST REH, CR AST, REH AST CS, B REH REC, CR, BR, IG REH, CR, BR REH, REC,B REH, BR IG, REH, REC REC REC MECHANICAL

Y Y N Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y N N Y Y N N N N N N N N N N Y N N N N N N N N N N N N N N

N Y Y Y N N N N Y N Y N N Y Y N Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y N Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y

1526 2640 1211 7849 720 4083 3969 2080 1105 1205 2645 431 3068 1324 1633 1169 5439 542 774 696 1136 4630 1200 2625 696 1155 261 537 2298 845 696 875 471 248 637 2691 1274 2099 713 585 249 8190

IMAGE ABOVE: Condensed Matrix Study of general spaces of building showing the relationship between them and deicated square footage. Total sqaure footage not inlcuded.

/ DESIGN DEVELOPMENT /

DROP ME OFF IN HARLEM BY: DUKE ELLINGTON

Drop me off in Harlem Any place in Harlem There's someone waiting there Who makes it seem like Heaven up in Harlem I don't want your Dixie You can keep your Dixie There's no one down in Dixie Who can take me 'way from my hot Harlem Harlem has those southern skies They're in my baby's smile I idolize my baby's eyes And classy up-town style If Harlem moved to China I know of nothing finer Than to stow away on a 'plane some day And have them drop me off in Harlem Harlem has those southern skies They're in my baby's smile I idolize my baby's eyes And classy up-town style If Harlem moved to China I know of nothing finer Than to stow away on a 'plane some day And have them drop me off in Harlem If Harlem moved to China I know nothing finer than to be in Harlem

HARLEM ART CENTER

Level One

The HART Center has both public and private areas, and therefore a system that separated the private from the general public areas had to be created. The solution to this problem was by taking advantage of the existing H-design of the building with both a Northern and Southern courtyard. With the southern courtyard facing 145th Street (the commercial/residential street) it was an obvious decision to make this the entrance dedicated to the general public. The public spaces like the restaurant, art supply store, art gallery and auditorium were placed on the southern half of the building to provide easy accessibility to the this public entrance. But placing these functions in the Southern end was not enough for accessibility. The existing courtyard was elevated above street level and had a set of stairs that had to be climbed to reach it. The new design has gotten rid of this elevated courtyard and brought it down to street level, placing a ramp that zig-zags across and gradually slopes to meet the existing first level of the building. To make this entrance even grander an extension to building was designed; a glass-encased pavilion serving as the bridge to the auditorium, restaurant, art gallery and art supply store (all of the general public spaces). It’s façade was influenced by the Duke Ellington’s song “Drop Me Off in Harlem” to serve as an abstract welcoming to those who enter. This façade was developed through connecting the dots from the tabs found in the music notes of the song. While the ceiling has cut outs of the shapes developed from the songs tabs. Further description of how this was developed will be provided in the following chapter. The northern courtyard on 146th Street (the residential street with a post of fice and elementary school directly across the street), became the more private entrance dedicated to the artists, students, and administrative staff. The registrar office is located on the north-east wing of the building serving as the lobby for the students and artists of the building. Kiosks serving as self-registration, as well as a small reception desk, facilitates the application and registration process for potential students and studio users. One of the main elevators is located there as well, connecting all level of the building (cellar-roof). On the north-west wing of the building is the lobby to the administrative of fice serving as the of fice for both clients, The Harlem Arts Alliance and Art Space. An elevator is also located on this wing giving access from Level one to Level 5 50

IMAGE ABOVE: Bubble diagram study showing the relationship between the different spaces of Level 1.

/ DESIGN DEVELOPMENT /

of building. The northern end of the building like the southern end also has some additions to the building. A loading dock was added on the east wing to service the restaurant, art gallery and other areas of the building. To make this possible an extension of the building was created spilling into the neighboring community garden. To compensate for the loss of this garden the northern courtyard was converted into

a greenhouse for the community. It was designed to serve as a garden all year long, housing crop that can be used to provide fresh fruit and vegetables to the people of the community, promoting healthy eating habits.

NORTH & SOUTH COURTYARD PAVILION RESTAURANT RESTAURANT B.O.H. ART GALLERY ART SUPPLY STORE ART SUPPLY STORE B.O.H. AUDITORIUM MEZZANINE AUDITORIUM CONTROL BOOTH ADMINISTRATION OFFICE NORTHWEST LOBBY REGISTRAR LOBBY LOADING DOCK RESTROOMS ELEVATORS EGRESS STAIRS HALLWAYS 51

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Cellar

Originally dedicated strictly to the mechanical functions of the building, not many people had acccess to the cellar. The new design of the building brings the cellar a new life. The new design gives access to the general public by housing the public functions such as the auditorium and an additional level of the restaurant. Both spaces house a stage for performances and are meant to bring you back to the times of the Harlem Renaissance when prohibition was taking effect and people hid underground to illegally continue doing what they did best, party. Coming from street level one access to the cellar is through the pavilion. The pavilionâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s grand staircase or elevator will bring you directly to these public areas. The back of house has main access from the northern end of the building via the elevator, providing a private entrance for potential performers and staff. It also has access to the freight elevator connected to the loading dock in the level above and all other levels including the roof. As mentioned earlier the restaurant will also serve as a performance area. There will be a stage provided bringing back the times of live bands in the famous Harlem clubs popular in the Harlem Renaissance like the Cotton Club, The Savoy Ballroom and other underground bars. Because of this a private green room strictly for the restaurant performers has also been included in the floor plan. The bar of the restaurant is also located on this level, the setting is meant to be more of a lounge environment dedicated to performances, small plates and drinks. This level is also where the restaurant holds the kitchen and main storage with direct access to the level above via a private set of stairs for workers. The auditorium is a much larger space and had many things to take into consideration all found through researching similar spaces. The seating will be retractable auditorium seating provided by Jezet-Seating. This allows the auditorium to hold various types of functions without the restrictions of fixed seating. Then there is the obvious, a stage, dressing rooms, green room, storage and a small administrative of fice. The set design was also taken into consideration and therefore a woodshop has also been placed on this level. This will provide easy access to the set designers to build on site. The woodshop will also serve as a classroom setting for woodworking classes and any other studio users in need of 52

IMAGE ABOVE: Bubble diagram study showing the relationship between the different spaces of Cellar.

/ DESIGN DEVELOPMENT /

that specific equipment. Having it located to the north end elevator makes this possible.

PAVILION AUDITORIUM STAGE BACKSTAGE CIRCULATION GREEN ROOM DRESSING ROOMS AUDITORIUM OFFICE AUDITORIUM STORAGE WOODSHOP RESTAURANT RESTAURANT B.O.H. RESTAURANT GREEN ROOM RESTROOMS ELEVATORS EGRESS STAIRS 53

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Level Two

As we move up to the second level of the building, classroom and studio spaces are introduced to the building making this level both open to the general public and private for students and artists. Walls are placed at an angle, breaking from the traditional rectilinear room and introducing a new shape of spaces very similar to the shapes abstracted from the music tabs of â&#x20AC;&#x153;Drop Me Off in Harlem.â&#x20AC;? The rooms serve as an abstracted form of syncopation, providing unexpected turns for those walking through the hallways of the space. The southern end, like the first level, houses the more public functions of the building. To access this area the visitor must enter the pavilion and go up the grand staircase or elevator where there is open lobby area with direct access to the Art Gallery. The art gallery will serve as a space to exhibit work from the artists of HART Center as well as any traveling exhibitions who chose to use the center as its venue. The gallery will include a main gallery space as well as a small projection room to showcase short films. A dedicated of fice space is provided to help run the administrative part of the gallery, as well as serve as an information desk for visitors. Upon entering the gallery from the pavilion to the right is the art supply store. This level of the store will sell various art supplies as well as prints and original artwork of the artists at HART Center. This will help expose the artists work as well as provide revenue for both the artist and the center as there will be a percentage that will go to the center in return for low rentable studio spaces. The freight elevator also has direct access to the gallery to help carry up any installations form the loading dock or studios above. The northern end of this floor houses the more private areas of the building. To access this end of the second level one can either enter from the art gallery, which also gives the opportunity for artists and students to enter the gallery as easily as possible. For direct access the user can enter from either the north east or north west wing entrances below, both accessible via stairs and elevator. The first classroom is introduced into the space, it can hold various classes from painting, poetry to other crafts. The photography department also is located on this level, this is where photography classes and studio space is provided. It comes with a general studio space and a dark room. A computer lab adjacent to the printing/tech lab is also provided for photographers as well as any studio users. Then of course are 54

IMAGE ABOVE: Bubble diagram study showing the relationship between the different spaces of level 2.

/ DESIGN DEVELOPMENT /

the necessary storage areas as provided in all other levels. The storage units will be shared by both the art gallery and classrooms. Private single unit bathrooms will be provided for the students on the northern east end of the building while the art gallery will hold the more public bathrooms for the shoppers and gallery visitors.

PAVILION ART GALLERY ART GALLERY OFFICE ART SUPPLY STORE PHOTOGRAPHY STUDIO COMPUTER & PRINT LAB CLASSROOM STORAGE HALLWAYS RESTROOMS ELEVATORS EGRESS STAIRS 55

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Level Three

As mentioned earlier in the chapter, the idea behind the space planning and design of the HART Center was meant to bring different art forms into one building where they can inspire each other to create even grander art. This is done by having art music and dance overlap on various levels of the building, instead of diving them by function. The use of mixing different art forms begins to be introduced on the third level of the building. Strictly open to only students and studio users this floor is primarily accessible through the north entrance having 24 hour access with secured entrance on either northern wings of the building. The second option would be by entering the south entrance through and gaining access through the t=entrance found in the Art Gallery. The third level holds three dance studios with double height ceilings on the southern end of the building. They are accompanied by two separate men and womenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s locker rooms, both fully equipped with showers, bathrooms, changing areas and lockers. On the north east end of the building you have a classroom space, as you will notice the classrooms are primarily stacked on this area of the building, facilitating the movement for students in the building. Central to the building the art studios are introduced, a total of five, two private and three shared studios. All studios have window openings that provide those walking by with a view of the artists working in the studio as well as helps spill natural light into the core of the building. The windows themselves are not regular rectangular shapes either, they too are inspired by the shapes developed by the studies of the guitar tabs for Drop Me Off in Harlem, also found in the pavilionâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s ceiling. A new addition and extension to the building is also introduced on this level, a balcony. The original building did not have windows on the north east wall that overlooked the existing community garden. Since the new design includes occupying this garden lot, a balcony is now provided as a feature to one of the studios, overlooking that neighboring property while also bringing in more natural light to one of the art studio spaces. On this level we also have the ceramic studio. This is one of the two levels of the ceramic studio, serving as the wet area. This is where the pottery wheeling and coiling process take place, high table working stations and potterâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s wheels are provided as well as various lockers for storage and a custom designed shelving unit for drying. This space will be 56

IMAGE ABOVE: Bubble diagram study showing the relationship between the different spaces of level 3.

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further discussed in the following chapter. A repeated feature of the buildingsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; floor plan includes various angled walls, breaking from the traditional rectilinear shaped rooms. Keeping the indirect notion of syncopation.

DANCE STUDIOS LOCKER ROOMS ART STUDIOS CERAMIC STUDIO CLASSROOM STORAGE HALLWAYS RESTROOMS ELEVATORS EGRESS STAIRS 57

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Level Four

Following the system of mixing various art forms together, the fourth level of the building provides a combination of art, music and in some way dance. As you enter the main elevator for students and studio users you walk into an atrium space occupied by three freestanding structures. These free-standing structures are small music rehearsal studios, available for a low rental hourly charge fee and accessible 24 hrs, simply by booking a time slot. The studios are disrupted by small window openings similar to those found in the pavilionsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; ceiling. These openings give passerbyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s visibility to musicians rehearsing without being too invasive. A larger window is also provided on one of the walls with window seating for when the singer/ musician would like to have a moment for a break or simply to sit and write lyrics. They also have the option to make the space a bit more private by covering the large window opening with the curtain provided, as sometimes artists do need their space and privacy. On the same level are two more slightly larger rehearsal studios. Also with similar features of window seating and an exterior further disrupted by small opening of the shapes found throughout the building. The dance studio component of this level is the view of the actual dance floor below. This level occupies the second half of the ceiling height of the studio and provides some view points for users to observe the dancers. Some benches are provided in these areas to help assist the comfort for those viewing the performers. One art studio is available on this level is equipped with a balcony and one of the larger sized studios. A classroom is also located on this level stacked above the other classrooms below. And lastly the second half of the ceramic studio is located on north west wing. This area of the ceramic studio is where the drying process takes place. Kilns and working tables are provided. A wall of shelving is provided to hold the paints and finishes used in the pottery process. More shelving is also located here as well as lockers. For more room the ceramic studio users also will have access to the storage room located directly outside of the studio, where additional industrial shelving will be provided for their artwork. Visible on the floor plan are the walls placed at an angle keeping this level consistent with the remaining building, inspired by syncopation. 58

IMAGE ABOVE: Bubble diagram study showing the relationship between the different spaces of level 4.

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REHEARSAL STUDIOS CERAMIC STUDIO ART STUDIOS CLASSROOM STORAGE HALLWAYS RESTROOMS ELEVATORS EGRESS STAIRS 59

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Level Five

Exiting the main elevator on level 5 onto the atrium space, the user encounters the continuation of the free-standing rehearsal studios. They repeat the pattern of disrupted small window openings and window seating found on the level below. Small bridge walkways connect you from the main hallway area to the studios. During the day the natural light from the above skylight illuminates the space and structures directly below it. A small break room/kitchenette is directly across from the rehearsal studios on the southern end of the atrium space. There the users of the building can store there food for the day, make coffee or buy snack from the vending machine, it will be accessible 24 hrs. On all four wings of the building there are both recording and rehearsal studios, making this primarily a music dedicated level. This breaks the system of overlapping the different art forms but was done so for technical reasons. Both rehearsal and recording studios require sound-proofing but especially recording studios. Because of this they are intentionally isolated on their own level. They are tucked in onto the side inner walls of the building avoiding windows and any potential sound disruptions. They are also all designed with e recording room, control room and sound lock room, filtering the sound from reaching the recording of music. As these rooms carry technical equipment the music of fice is also located on this level. The of fice will hold various musical instruments and equipment that can be checked in and out as needed. On the northern end of this level there are two classrooms holding various classes at different times of day. On the south-western wing of the building is the indoor garden, an important feature of the building. It will serve as a main meeting point for leisure and interaction between the users of the space. The ceiling consists of shapes inspired by the music tabs as done on the pavilion. This allows for maximum natural light into the space, giving the users of feeling being in an outdoor space. This also is a connecting point to the roof top garden above, with a stairwell giving direct access to the roof. The indoor garden will be further discussed in detail in the following chapter.

IMAGE ABOVE: Bubble diagram study showing the relationship between the different spaces of level 4.

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REHEARSAL STUDIOS RECORDING STUDIO MUSIC OFFICE KITCHENETTE INDOOR GARDEN CLASSROOM STORAGE HALLWAYS RESTROOMS ELEVATORS EGRESS STAIRS 61

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Roof

At the very last level of the building, on the southern end of the roof, the user can walk through the rooftop garden. It is accessible through the indoor garden stairs or the elevator on the east side of the building. The user can walk through the wooden panel walkways surrounded by garden beds and benches for sitting. On the east wing the Urban CafĂŠ serves beverages and small snacks, perfect for a short break on a summer day. It provides a relaxing space away from the busy streets below. It is covered with a custom designed gondola with shapes abstracted from the music tabs as is the rest of the building. It casts shadows on the floor creating an interesting texture to the space. The surrounding walls have verical garden beds in every other opening surrounded by windows providing views to the surrounding views. Rooftops like these are not common in Harlem, through research one couldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t even be found in the area. It is accessible exclusively to the students and studio users of the building but can also be rented out for various events bringing revenue to the center. On the roof top garden one can also find the continuous pattern found throughout the building. Surrounded by jagged angled garden beds disrupting the linear walkways and providing an interesting feature to the space. The northern end of the building is dedicated to the mechanical section servicing the entire building.

IMAGE ABOVE: Bubble diagram study showing the relationship between the different spaces of roof.

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ROOFTOP CAFE ROOFTOP GARDEN MECHANICAL ELEVATORS EGRESS STAIRS 63

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ART SUPPLY STORE

PHOTOGRAPHY

CLASSROOM

PAVILION

COMPUTER LAB

REHEARSAL STUDIO

AUDITORIUM

ART GALLERY

RECORDING STUDIO

ADMINISTRATION

CERAMIC STUDIO

INDOOR GARDEN

NORTH WEST LOBBY

ART STUDIO

CLASSROOM

RESTAURANT

STORAGE

CLASSROOM

REGISTRAR LOBBY

ART GALLERY

REHEARSAL STUDIO

AUDITORIUM

LOCKER ROOM

RECORDING STUDIO

ROOFTOP GARDEN

DANCE STUDIO

MUSIC OFFICE

ROOFTOP GARDEN

ART STUDIO

IMAGE TOP TO BOTTOM: 1. West wing section. 2. East wing section.

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IMAGE TOP TO BOTTOM: 1. North elevation with additions to building highlighted. 2. South elevation with additions to building highlighted.

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SOUTH COURTYARD & PAVILION

When first coming to the Harlem Art Center the visitor will most likely enter the southern courtyard. It connects you to the more public areas of the building, the art gallery, art supply store, pavilion, auditorium and restaurant. Originally the southern courtyard was elevated above street level, making it not accessible to all. To solve this problem the existing elevated courtyard has been removed and replaced with one that meets at street level. A ramp has been placed that zig-zags across the courtyard gradually sloping to the meet the first level of the pavilion. The ramp is surrounded by optional stairs to climb and small patches of lawn to lounge on. Designed as a space for the community the southern courtyard will not have gates separating it from the street, it will be an open space for all people of the community to enjoy. Having entered the southern courtyard a visitor will encounter a new addition to the building, the pavilion. This three story extension of the building is an important element serving as the bridge to the main public areas, the auditorium on the cellar and first level and the art gallery on the second level. It was created to bring the main entrance closer to the sidewalk, a sign of a new beginning, yet a bridge to the past. It’s floors are a soft beige marble accented with a shiny reflective black resin and glass façade, all materials clean and simple providing the space with an open airy feel. It’s ceiling is disrupted by small openings casting shadows of abstracted shapes onto the floor. The mullions of the exterior façade also cast shadows onto the floor, linear ones disrupted by breaks of the exteriors angular façade. At night the large chandeliers (designed by Raimond Puts) hovered directly center over the entry doors feel like a soft glow of a starry night, sparkling over the pavilions reflective surfaces. The elements of the building were all designed with intention, with syncopation and Harlem in mind. While having established that syncopation would be the conceptual guideline for the design of the building, a deeper even more

direct connection to Harlem was found. Researching different songs created by musicians of the Harlem Renaissance, one in particular stood out, Drop Me Off in Harlem by Duke Ellington. The title alone seemed like the perfect way to relate syncopation more directly to Harlem and the HART Center. Using the verse “drop me off in Harlem, any place in Harlem,” the exterior façade of the pavilion was developed. The dots on the guitar tabs of that verse were connected creating a line disrupted by sharp angles. This pattern was then taken onto the floor plan and traced to become the façade of the pavilion. Glass was chosen as its material because the beauty of the existing building is intended to be showcased. Mullions were then strategically placed not only to support the structure of the curtain wall but also served to cast shadows emulating the staff found on music sheets. The ceiling of the pavilion was also designed based off the studies made from the guitar tabs of Drop Me Off in Harlem. Shapes were created connecting the dots on the tabs, which were then traced over to create openings on the ceiling. During the day these openings allow light to filter into the space casting shadows of the shapes created. Since the play with light was an intended part of the design, the materials within the space were chosen not to interfere with the shadows that would be casted. Therefore chosing the solid beige marble not only brought an open and warm elegance to the space but also serve as a canvas for the shadows casted during the day.

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DETAIL CALLOUT

IMAGES TOP TO BOTTOM: 1. Cellar of pavilion 2.Level 1 of pavilion 3. Level 2 of pavilion

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IMAGE ON THE LEFT: Rendered perspective of the southern view of the building.

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IMAGE ON THE LEFT: Rendered perspective of the exterior of the pavilion.

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IMAGE ON THE LEFT: Rendered perspective from the second level of the pavilion, facing west view.

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RESTAURANT When thinking of the Harlem Renaissance one of the images that comes to mind is the nightlife of the time. Due to prohibition from 1920-1933 there were many underground clubs catering to the people that wanted to continue their lifestyle of drinking and parting at night. They were exclusive and luxurious in style usually providing live bands and performers for entertainment. With this in mind the Harlem Art Center has a restaurant that pays homage to that time. The restaurant itself occupies two level the first and cellar of the south east wing of the center. It has three entrances, one main entrance from the pavilion’s first level, a second from the art gallery’s first level and a third from the pavilions cellar giving direct access to those entering or exiting the auditorium. The restaurant will cater to the general public and will have hours of operation from noon to 2am. Inspired by the clubs of the time of the Harlem Renaissance the restaurant will serve a light menu of Latin fusion cuisine with a full bar and have performances on a stage located in the cellar of the restaurant. The space is designed to look like more of a high-end restaurant but still affordable in price, it will be a one of a kind restaurant, unlike any other in the community. Prior to entering the main entrance located on the first level of the pavilion the patrons are greeted by a host that will take them to their table. Upon entering they first encounter these large bronze polished extrusions from the ceiling providing ambient lighting to the space, and located directly above the stage below. They serve as a barrier to the stage lights that are tucked behind them and are levered down during performances. The floor of this level of the restaurant is a customized cream colored polished marble tile with bronze colored outlines whose shapes are inspired by the shapes extracted from the studies of the guitar tabs of Drop Me Off in Harlem. The ceiling is covered with panels of both a polished wood and bronze finish with small gaps in between each panel spilling over some cove lighting into the space below. The walls are on one end brick while the other is painted in a dark eggshell grey palette. There is customized artwork, a series named “A Peak into the Past,” hanging on the walls specifically designed for the space. They are panels of wooden planks, covered with pealing wallpaper exposing the images of famous female performers of the Harlem Renaissance, Josefine Baker, Billie Holiday and Florence Mills. The chairs and booth seating are tufted and covered in merlot

colored velvet, contributing to the elegant feel of the space. The tables are a black made of black marble for the table tops with a base that is divided into sections overlapping one another and spilling over each others edges, it is a customized version of a Herve Van Der Straeten design found in the Ralph Pucci Collection. Then there is the communal table for larger parties, a bronze colored rectangular table top with legs made up of cylinders and large circular beads, covered in different finishes. It is a customized version of designer, India Mahdavi’s Superstar Table, also found in the Ralph Pucci collection. Directly above the table is a customized chandelier made up of various glass engraved liquor bottles hanging staggered from wired attached to the panel above. The surrounding tables have a pendant light that has translucent lamp-shade covering a traditional chandelier underneath, it is the Shade on Shade pendant light from the Moooi collection. It is fun and unexpected, a take on syncopation in the space. Moving down to the cellar of the restaurant one encounters a similar yet different style. As you enter the space you will notice a darker pallete, with a floor the same pattern found on the level above with bronze borders but with black marble replacing the cream colored marble found on the level above. The seating is also a tufted velvet upholstery but in a blue shade, both double seating and booth lounge seating is provided. The ceiling is covered with extrusions descending onto the floor but are the outlines of the panels above, with cove lighting tucked in it’s inner edges. The walls are covered with a velvet curtain giving the feeling of being on stage with the performers. The stage itself has the bronze light extrusions hovered above it, they continue to serve as ambient lighting as well as a sculptural feature to the space. The same lamp shades from the level above are placed above the lounge seating booths. Tucked away in the corner is an unexpected floor lamp shaped as a life size horse with black finish, contributing to the idea of syncopation. The bar itself has bronze colored shelving emulating the shapes found throughout the space with soft ambient lighting highlighting the liquor bottles on display. As this is the space dedicated to live performances it can also be altered to hold a dance floor when needed.

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DETAIL CALLOUT

IMAGES LEFT TO RIGHT: 1. Level one of restaurant 2.Level 2 of restaurant

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LEFT IMAGE: Rendered perspective from the first level of the restaurant with view from north end facing south towards the rt gallery entrance.

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LEFT IMAGE: Rendered perspective from the first level of the restaurant with view from gallery entrance facing east.

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LEFT IMAGE: Rendered perspective from the first level of the restaurant with view from gallery entrance facing north.

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LEFT IMAGE: Rendered perspective from the cellar of the restaurant, view from stage facing south.

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LEFT IMAGE: Rendered perspective from the cellar level of the restaurant with view from lounge seating area facing north east towards the stage.

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LEFT IMAGE: Rendered perspective from the cellar evel of the restaurant with detailed view of lounge seating and horse lamp from the bar area facing west

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DANCE STUDIOS

Moving onto the third level are the dance studios. With double height ceilings the users are introduced to a minimally designed space with white walls and light finished wood floor panels, illuminated by natural light from the windows that once occupied two separate levels. On the ceiling above a new feature has been added of wood paneling organically curved in and out in various directions. The wooden panels that form this ceiling feature are different sets of parallel wooden plank extrusions that eventually meet and intersect one another. This introduces a textured organic movement inspired by the dancers themselves, disrupting the minimalistic design featured below. The paneling also serves as a functional purpose muffling the sound of music transferring from the recording and rehearsal studios found on levels above. At 14 ft above floor level, windows serving as viewpoints from the level above are introduced. This allows users from the level above to view the dancers below appreciating their art form for possible inspiration.

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DETAIL CALLOUT

IMAGES LEFT TO RIGHT: 1. Level three of dance studio 2.Level four viewpoint overlooking dance studio.

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RIGHT IMAGE: Rendered perspective from fourth level viewpoint to the dance studio floor below. View of dance studio located on south east wing

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LEFT IMAGE: Rendered perspective from third level dance studio located on south east wing. Camera view facing south.

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LEFT IMAGE: Rendered perspective from third level dance studio located on south east wing. Camera view facing north.

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CERAMIC STUDIO

Also on the third level is the ceramic studio, it occupies two floors spilling onto the fourth level as well. The lower level of the studio serves as the wet working area. This is where the ceramic wheels are located as well as sinks for rinsing and washing and bar height work tables for coiling. Multiple lockers are provided for the users of the space as well as a custom designed shelving unit that holds various shelving sizes suitable for different sized artwork created in the space. On the second level of the studio is where the dry and paint area take place. Kilns, and work tables are provided as well as additional lockers and custom designed shelving unit similar to the one found on the level below. Wall shelving is also provided for the paints and glaze coats. Additional storage is located directly outside of the studio where additional industrial shelving is provided. Having discussed the functionality of the space we move onto the conceptual design. The space is inspired by NYC and its busy streets and street art filed with bright bold colors. This inspired the choice of colors found in the space as well as some other features. When you enter the ceramic studio from the lower level you first encounter the potterâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s blue wheel stations surrounded by orange-red lockers for storage. The floor of the space is a grey toned linoleum floor researched to be the best suitable and durable flooring for a ceramic studio, due to how constantly wet the floors can get and how easily it can get cleaned. When you look up onto the ceiling you will find unexpected paralleled recessed tube lighting zig zagging north to south of the studio emulating the cityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s busy city traffic at night. As you move forward deeper into the room you see a bright orange red stairwell with a resin reflective surface serving as its guardrail pressed onto the corner against the stark white walls, and right before this you actually encounter another bright unexpected wall mural as well, adding a beautiful contrast to the existing materials of the space. All three elements, from the ceiling lights to the bright

mural against the white walls as well as this bright almost focal point of a stairwell serve as a break to the simple textures and colors found within the space, also thought of as syncopated elements. Moving up to the second level of the studio you have a continuation of the work stations other main elements are repeated, the white walls accented by the bright stairwell, a bright mural wall, grey linoleum floors, recessed tube lighting, but what really catches your is the chandelier above the workstations, a new introduction to the space. It is a series of desk lamps brought together to form a chandelier, Dear Indigo by Ron Gilad from the Moooi Collection. A play with the idea of desk lamps for workstations, this chandelier was the perfect accent lighting for the space.

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DETAIL CALLOUT

IMAGES LEFT TO RIGHT:: 1. Level three of dance studio 2.Level four viewpoint overlooking dance studio.

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LEFT IMAGE: Rendered perspective from third level ceramic studio Camera view facing south.

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LEFT IMAGE: Rendered perspective from third level ceramic studio Camera view facing north.

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LEFT IMAGE: Rendered perspective from fourth level ceramic studio Camera view facing north.

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LEFT IMAGE: Rendered perspective from fourth level ceramic studio Camera view facing south.

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INTERIOR GARDEN

Inspired by the unruly beauty of the ruin if what was once P.S. 186, where nature reclaimed a vital urban structure created by man, the interior garden pays homage to its latest inhabitant, nature. (The image on the top right corner of the left page is an interior photo of the decipated P.S. 186) It provides an essential part of the program for the artists and students of the Harlem Art Center, a space where they can gather and inspire each other with different ideas and possibly even contributing together to create a new project. Spaces of leisure, where one can take a break and refuel from work are always necessary, and the indoor gardenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s main purpose is to do that. With a relaxed setting of light warm wooden planks, grass emulating floors and a bonsai tree in the far south of the room the users are brought into a relaxed setting for mental refuel. The user can chose to either sit on the movable chairs provided or on the bench on the southern end of the room that wraps around the bonsai tree, or even picnic on the floors. New York City experiences harsh cold winters keeping people mostly indoors and with this in mind the indoor garden garden was added to the program, to bring nature to the user no matter what time of year. The wooden planks are slowly disrupted by the grass emulating floors as an interpretation of nature taking over the space as it already has. The ceiling is covered with skylights formed of cutouts abstracted from the Drop Me Off in Harlem guitar tabs as it does in the pavilions ceiling as well as other areas of the building. Allowing as much natural light as possible in the summer as well as casting interesting patterned shadows onto the floor. The tree was placed in the room as a form of respect of the many trees that made the abandoned P.S. 186 their home. The indoor garden also has a stairwell that provides the users direct access to the rooftop garden and cafĂŠ above. Forming a connection of the inside in as the rooftop garden serves the same purpose as the indoor garden.

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LEFT IMAGE: Rendered perspective of indoor garden, view from entrance facing south.

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LEFT IMAGE: Rendered perspective of indoor garden, view facing west.

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LEFT IMAGE: Rendered perspective of indoor garden, view facing south east.

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LEFT IMAGE: Rendered perspective of indoor garden, view facing north.

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ROOFTOP

Like the indoor garden the rooftop garden is meant to pay homage to the latest inhabitant of P.S. 186 building, nature. It also serves as a space for relaxation for the users of the building, a place to refuel with fresh air surrounded by floral bushes and vertical garden beds on the walls that encase the space. The repeated angular shapes inspired by the shapes that were developed from the Drop Me Off in Harlem guitar tabs are found on the walls as well and the gondola that provides partial shade and protection to the rooftop café, Urban Picnic. The user can chose to either enter from the stairs provided in indoor garden below or the main centrally located elevators. It is meant to be used only by the artists and students of the building, but can also be rented for special events. The rooftop garden Café, Urban Picnic serves refreshing beverages and of course coffee, as well as some pastries, and small snacks. Tables are provided in the café and additional bench seating is provided throughout the garden. The free-standing rehearsal studios extrude from the atrium’s skylight and their rooftops serve as garden beds for fresh vegetables to be harvested by the users who chose to help maintain it, promoting healthy eating habits. A place of leisure and relaxation the rooftop garden serves as an elevated park, away from the busy streets below. Rooftop gardens are not common in Harlem, it may possibly even be the first to come to the community. As New York City does experience harsh winters the rooftop will only be open for the warm months of the year, and during the winters the users will still have access to the indoor garden below.

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LEFT IMAGE: Rendered perspective of rooftop garden cafe, Urban Picnic. View facing east.

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LEFT IMAGE: Rendered perspective of rooftop garden cafe, Urban Picnic. VIiew facing sosuth.

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LEFT MAGE : Watercolor rendered perspective of bench in rooftop garden View facing north

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THE DESIGNER

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AUTOBIOGRAPHY

My name is Lorena Prieto. I’m a working student with a passion for interior design. As a young child growing up in New York City I found myself often playing indoors and a favorite pastime was building house interiors out of Legos. I also loved to visit museums, and walk the city streets, exploring the stimulating concrete jungle of my home city. I was lucky to be exposed to many forms of art, design, and architecture from a young age. These were the roots of my interests in spatial planning, architecture, and design which continue to today. As a child I was also fortunate enough to have the opportunity to travel to my parents’ home countries-Ecuador and Colombia-regularly. This inspired a passion for travel and for experiencing new cultures, visiting new cities, and seeing landscapes. These continue to be my passions and sources of inspiration. These experiences have taught me different cultural perspectives and helped me think outside of the boxsomething I try to bring to my designs. I’m currently residing in San Francisco since 2010. I have learned and adapted to its lifestyle and culture. With its unique expressive style and many forms of art and architecture, I am continually inspired by my present surroundings. My main interest in Interior Design would be a focus on commercial design. I want to design for the general public, exposing people from all walks of life to good design and beautiful spaces and helping them learn the value of wellmade buildings, inside and out. Earning a B.A. in Studio Art at The City College of New

York in May 2009, I’ve been working to further my knowledge of the design field for years. I am currently pursuing my MFA in Interior Architecture and Design at the Academy of Art University, and have taken continuing education professional credentials in Interior Design at the Fashion Institute of Technology SUNY, and Parsons School of Design.

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BIBLIOGRAPHY

• Arnason, H. Harvard., and Elizabeth Mansfield. History of Modern Art: Painting, Sculpture, Architecture, Photography. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Prentice Hall, 2010. Print.

• Bell, Simon. Elements of Visual Design in the Landscape. London: Simon, 2001. Print. • COGGINS, IAIN M. “Gone, Forgotten and Ever-Present.” Everything Is Education. WORDPRESS.COM, 13 July 2012. Web. 03 July 2013. • HASKINS, JAMES. “HARLEM COMES OF AGE.” THE COTTON CLUB. 1ST ed.. RANDOM HOUSE TRADE PAPERBACKS, 1977. 3-23. PRINT.

• Holl, Steven. The Chapel of St. Ignatius. New York: Princeton Architectural, 1999. Print. • Martin, Elizabeth. Architecture as a Translation of Music. New York: Princeton Architectural, 1994. Print. • Powell, Richard J., and Richard J. Powell. “HARLEM: MECCA AND METAPHOR.” Black Art: A Cultural History. 2ND ed. London: Thames & Hudson, 2003. 50-55. Print.

• Robinson, Michael, and Rosalind Ormiston. Art Deco: The Golden Age of Graphic Art & Illustration. United Kingdom: Flame Tree, 2008. Print.

• RYON, JANNA L. “01.02.08: The Influence of Jazz Music in Twentieth Century Art.” 01.02.08: The Influence of Jazz Music in Twentieth Century Art. YALE UNIVERSITY, 02 Jan. 2008. Web. 30 Jan. 2014. • Wittkower, Rudolf. Architecture Principles in the Age of Humanism. London: Academy Editions, 1974. Print. • “Inside Harlem’s P.S. 186.” AbandonedNYC. ABANDONDONED NYC, 08 July 2012. Web. 30 July 2013. • http://www.artspace.org/ • http://www.harlemaa.org/? • http://www.nyc.gov/html/lpc/downloads/pdf/reports/HAMILTON_HEIGHTS_HISTORIC_ DISTRICT.pdf

• http://www.nyc.gov/html/lpc/downloads/pdf/maps/hamilton_heights.pdf • http://www.nga.org/files/live/sites/NGA/files/pdf/0901ARTSANDECONOMY.PDF

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